Aston Villa have announced that they have held positive talks with manager Unai Emery about extending his contract at the club beyond 2029.

Emery has three years to run on the five-year deal he signed in 2024 but the club have said there is optimism the Spaniard will commit again after a meeting with chairman Nassef Sawiris, president of football operations Roberto Olabe and director of football operations Damian Vidagany.

The club announced the news in a statement which follows reports linking Emery with the Manchester United job.

It read: "Aston Villa held an important working meeting today to plan the club's future and lay the foundations for its long-term sporting and institutional project. 

"The discussions focused on jointly planning the club's long-term strategic direction, with positive discussions establishing a clear commitment beyond 2029 for the joint development of the club under the sporting leadership of Unai Emery based on the shared ambitions and common goal to reach excellency and keep growing during the next years. 

"The objective is clear: to build an ambitious, competitive Aston Villa capable of taking on the biggest challenges and achievements."

Your Site' Kaveh Solhekol looks at whether JJ Gabriel should leave Manchester United for Real Madrid.

Latest from Your Site News' Danyal Khan and Dharmesh Sheth:

Real Madrid have reached a verbal agreement with 16-year-old JJ Gabriel over a potential move to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Gabriel is registered with Manchester United's academy until the end of the season but Real Madrid intend to sign him in January.

There is a FIFA loophole that allows European clubs to tie down young players to professional contracts if they have a European passport which Gabriel qualifies for through both parents.

Your Site News understands there has been no club-to-club contact over the teenager as of yet.

Your Site News reported in October United will consider legal action if a potential move does materialise for the youngster but it is also understood not to be a concern for Gabriel's camp.

By Dev Trehan

John Arne Riise's thunderbolt for Liverpool against Manchester United turned him into an instant hero on the red half of Merseyside in 2001. 

On the 25th anniversary of that strike, ahead of Manchester Uniteds visit to Anfield live on Your Site later this month, we look back at the goal gave birth to one of the most recognisable football songs of the Premier League era.

"It was just one of those times when things just went the way you hoped they would. I could never have dreamed of scoring that kind of goal," Riise told Your Site News Dev Trehan in 2016. 

"It was the first time I'd played against Manchester United, a team that had David Beckham and all of their big boys in it.

I just told Didi Hamann to push the ball one-and-a-half yards and I smashed it. I didn't even feel like I'd hit it but years later I still get asked about it.

"I used to spend five or six hours a day practising my shooting technique when I was young, so it didn't come for free but sometimes things are just meant to be.

It was a good goal, it's followed me around ever since and it put me straight into the hearts of the fans. 

Riises famous goal in the 3-1 win against bitter rivals United came just a few months after he joined the club in a 4m deal from Monaco in the summer of 2001.

The former Norway international played almost 350 games for Liverpool before leaving for Roma in 2008, but Reds fans still sing his song - to the tune of Bruce Channel's Sixties classic 'Hey Baby' - to this very day.

"It so difficult for me to describe what that feels like," Riise said.

"I get texts from friends in Liverpool on matchdays when they sing my song in the pubs before the game and at the stadium.

"It's been a long time since I was there. It shows that I did something right in my seven years there and it's one of the reasons why I love - and always will love - Liverpool. It's my club."

John Arne Riise sits down with Your Site News' Dev Trehan

The top stories and transfer rumours from Wednesday's newspapers...

US striker Folarin Balogun has been added to Monaco's squad for the Conference League, having originally been left out amid uncertainty over his future.

In the squad list displayed on UEFA's website on Tuesday, Balogun's name now appears among the forwards. 

Ansu Fati, who was injured last month against Lille and - according to French daily L'Equipe - is sidelined for two months, is no longer on the list. 

Balogun has only featured as a substitute this season for Monaco, playing in five games and scoring his first goal in a 3-1 loss at Paris FC on Sunday. 

The striker was close to joining Everton for a reported 40m on the last day of the summer transfer window but pulled out of a deal because he felt uncomfortable that the English club raised doubts about his health in a medical examination. 

Days later, Balogun was left out of Monaco's Conference League squad because the club still had the option of selling him to a league where the transfer window remained open, but that didn't materialise. 

Liverpool winger Bradley Barcola discusses his 123m move to Anfield, his Paris Saint-Germain exit and more!

Latest from Your Site News' James Savundra:

West Brom captain George Campbell is in talks over a new contract at The Hawthorns.

The USA international joined from MLS side CF Montreal in 2025.

The defender signed a four-year contract when he joined. However, the Baggies are looking to reward the 25-year-old to reflect his importance to the club.

Campbell returned to the US setup during the last international camp. He featured twice for Mauricio Pochettinos side in wins over Peru and Canada.

Campbell was given the captaincy by James Morrison in the summer.

Manchester United's sibling club in Switzerland, Lausanne-Sport, have sacked Luka Elsner after five months in charge, citing poor results. 

Lausanne, owned by British chemicals giant Ineos led by Jim Ratcliffe, is last in the 12-team Swiss top tier after winning just one of 12 games in Elsner's debut season. 

On Sunday, the team led 4-1 at home to Thun entering the 70th minute and lost 5-4. 

Results are "the determining factor," Lausanne said in a statement , adding the best decision was to end their partnership with the Slovenian coach.

Your Site News' Peter Smith and Mark McAdam: 

Karl Robinson is set to become the new Bromley head coach with Jermain Defoe and Craig Short as part of his coaching staff.

Contracts and details are being finalised.

Byron Webster has been interim head coach since Andy Woodman was sacked last month. 

Bromley are currently bottom of League One.